It wasn't my idea, but it is a damn good one. Yes he has turned us down before but after a year in France and out of the England squad, he won't have a queue of would be suitors. With Vaz Te wide on the left, Carlton down the middle and Joe Cole on the right, switching flanks with RVT, we might just have a front three capable of unsettling Premiership opponents.
True we would then be vulnerable defensively, so a true holding midfielder would be required to sit behind Noble and Nolan, but it is a shape we are now familiar with and Joe Cole could be the missing attacking link we need.
If we capture him early in the summer it would have the same effect as the signing of Nolan last year. And who knows, Rio might just deliver on his promise to come home too!
Anony-mouse says,
ReplyDeleteWe all love Joe but I'm not sure about bringing him back. Why not go for someone who is younger and developing. I know he's not the finished article but what about Paul Ince on the right allowing Vaz Te to play on the left where he's effective.
I agree with most of your comments on your transfer thread. A lot will depend on how much Allardyce has available. The only one I'd really take issue with you on is Demel. He was poor yesterday, but that big pitch was always going to be unforgiving to a player who has only just come back after nearly 2 years out with injury. I'd be interested to see if he has adequate pace after a Summer of rest, as technically he is an excellent player.
Great day yesterday- 45,000 or so of us drinking too much and getting ridiculously over-excited by 'the next stop is Wembley park' announcement on the tube. Happy days!
Paul ince on the right? I'd rather see mark ward there or the boy boogers, let's give him a go
DeleteThe new french psycho minister was after 75% tax on the top earners...you might see Cole moving this summer anyway...why not us !!
ReplyDeleteI personally would love to see him back at Upton park and think he would fit in very well in BFS's formation, Chelsea saw him learn to defend a little and he clearly still has the flair..
I agree with Anony-mouse. We must go for young gifted players to build a strong team for the future.
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse - think you mean Tom Ince!....cant see him coming after the way we booed him continously yesterday. Transfer targets - I'm just loving the fact we can have a summer full of hope (before signing Bolton/Blackburn players on a free) - rather than seeing Cole, Nolan, Tomkins & Noble sold because of the championship fair play rules. A request please Anony-mouse - you said that you were on this blog for one year only - come on, stay for our first year back - I enjoy your verbal jousting with HF - sure he would miss you too!
ReplyDeleteAnd one more thing that needs to be changed at West Ham is this blind loyalty we show to "our own" players who time and again reject us for another club without giving it a second thought even. There are so many examples I can bring, we all know them, so I won't even try. Joe was a nice guy and seemed loyal when he was playing with us. But did he even consider coming back to us when he was marginalised at Chelsea? He joined Liverpool and Paris Saint Jermain and will probably, once again, sell himself to the highest bidder. Where is the loyalty to West Ham in all that?
ReplyDeleteThe main reason our own players do not respect us is because we do not respect ourselves. We tend to get romantic about the past and are taken for granted because they think we will always be welcoming them back with open arms.
That attitude needs to change and needs to change today. I don't know where we will should look for players to strengthen the team but I know where we shouldn't be looking. We should not be going after ex-West Ham players who time and again proven their disloyalty to the Club.
Hello again Mouse.
ReplyDeleteWhat a day yesterday. I'm still trying to get over a bad hangover today.
Joe Cole is not the same player after his bad injury and I don't think he is the answer.
Paul Ince is past it as well. Tom Ince his son maybe.. I thought he was the best player on the pitch yesterday. Matt Phillips also looks very useful.
I would also like to apologise to Blackpool suppoerters for HF's "pub team" blog below. They are a very good team and the game yesterday could easily have gone the other way. Good luck to them next year.
I was surprised the fans were allowed to mingle down Wembley Way on the way back to the tube station. Anyway the Blackpool fans we met were top class. Goodness knows what would have happened if WH had lost by a late goal. The WH fans were magnificent of course. The atmosphere was electric and I was very impressed by the "new" Wembley.
Problem is his last season with us was based on terrific hard work rather than great skill, injuries have robbed him of that ability now and sorry to say it but the skill was never truly adapted from youth to premiership class and certainly wont now. Better than many options but don't lets don the pink tinted when he has failed to make a real impact in France where his skill should have been perfectly suited to the football if it were ever to flourish.
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse says,
ReplyDeleteCan't believe I wrote Paul Ince. Schoolboy error on my part- I meant his boy of course-very good player, direct with pace and energy.
Clez- I'll stay if HF will have me. I wanted to stay til the end of the season so I could either whip HF's sorry arris if we went up or take the kicking he'd have undoubtedly have dished out if we'd stayed down if we had carried on in our argumentative way. It's become very civilised lately- sometimes I feel like calling HF a knob for no other reason other than to start our 'verbal jousting' again.
Whugo- what a day indeed mate. I feel rough but haven't got a hangover. Last night though I had the mother of all headaches. Didn't let it beat me though and carried on drinking myself into oblivion. Totally agree that Blackpool are a very good side and their support was excellent and passionate. If they can keep that side together I'd make them and Wolves favourites for promotion next season. I don't think HF really believes they are a pub team- he's just trying to goad them into a reaction. Aren't you HF? You knob :) Bring it on for old times sake.
benayoun might be on his way back too i reckon. not needed at chelsea, doubtful wenger will give him another year so it wouldn't surprise me.
ReplyDeleteOf course they are a bloody pub team Anonymouse! Every team in the Championship is a pub team! They must be if you make Wolves favourites to go up next season! As for continuing to host your bollocks, it would be a pleasure mate!
ReplyDeleteMuch rather have Yossi back the Joe! And I totally agree they should look into it cos he won't be needed at Chelsea and Wenger won't go in for him permanently. Yossi has more skill than Joe Cole and could operate on the right with RVT in the left. A few solid additions should see us well clear next season. The only problem is that there are now less games for me to attend :( being stuck up north is horrendous.
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse says,
ReplyDeleteBollocks? Bollocks? Surely you mean well informed, intelligent musings HF.
Sav- I'm generally with you regarding signing old players- if they wanted to leave us in the first place I can't see how they'd be motivated to play for us again. However I'd make one exception- we'll need more creativity and subtlety in midfield so I'd have Yossi back like a shot. He gives 100% for whoever he plays for.
My mistake, well informed bollocks. Yes I'd have Yossi back. And Tevez!
ReplyDeleteAnony-mouse,
ReplyDeleteI am with you regarding Benayoun because he is the kind of creative player we badly need in midfield.
Benayoun is a lying sack of crap who I would never want to see in our kit again. He agreed terms days before he left, lied about wanting to go to Liverpool and not signing because he was in Israel for some reason, then signed for Liverpool a few days later.
ReplyDeleteI will NEVER forgive him. F him eternally.
USA Dave also makes a good point.
ReplyDeleteBenayoun ? J Cole - all these possiblities are EX-WHU - they won't be back. They rated themselves too much. Wolves / Blackburn/Bolton have a couple of players worth buying and much more in our [Sam's] range, seeing as they haven't played for us and left when a better offer came up like those 'legends'.
ReplyDelete